Smoking pipe



Dec. 20, 1966 J. w. ZARIKTA SMOKING PIPE Filed June 15. 1964 INVENTOR.JOSEPH M ZAP/K74 Bar/Q] W United States Patent 3,292,639 SMOKING PIPEJoseph W. Zarikta, Grand Haven, Mich., assignor to Al Cobb Corporation,Grand Haven, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed June 15, 1964, Ser.No. 375,052 1 Claim. (Cl. 131-204) This invention relates to smokingpipes, and more particularly to smoking pipes having inner bowl membersof the type which may be removed and replaced whenever desired, suchinner bowls being most preferably formed from corn cob.

Pipe smokers have for many years been aware of the distinctive andmellowing effect imparted to tobaccos which are smoked in a corn cobpipe. The true form of such a pipe, i.e. in essence simply a piece ofhollow corn cob mounted upon a hollow stem, unfortunately has a greatmany unpleasant and undesirable attributes which have become almost aswell known as its desirable aspects. For example, such pipes are quiteunattractive in appearance, having a crude and unfinished exterior.Furthermore, since the cob structure acts as a natural filter, in timeitbecomes saturated with filtered substances such as tars and the like.This causes unnecessary expense and unnecessary irritations as well,since no single pipe ever attains the status of well-used familiarity orfeel which is desired by most pipe smokers.

As a result of these undesirable attributes of ordinary corn cob pipes,there have been a few attempts in the past to produce a pipe which wouldhave a pleasing and durable exterior, and yet would in some mannerincorporate a corn cob inner bowl, which preferably could be replacedwhenever desired. Unfortunately, none of these pipes ever achievedlasting success, since all of them overlooked several problems whichwere so serious that in the last analysis this species of pipe was onlyslightly more desirable than was its original crude predecessor.

Basically, these problems centered upon the characteristic tendency ofcorn cob to burn away after being repeatedly exposed to the temperaturesnormally present in pipe bowls. As a result of this tendency, thebottoms of the corn cob inner bowls would very quickly burn away,allowing bits of tobacco and live embers to communicate directly withthe stem of the pipe, thereby causing great discomfort to the smoker.Furthermore, the absorption of tars and other substances by the cobstructure caused the sides of the inner bowl to swell outwardly,resulting in the seizure of the inner and outer bowls. Thus, not onlydid the corn cob bowls burn out so quickly that they were economicallyunfeasible; they could not even be extracted from the outer bowl of thepipe when they became burned out, and actually had to be cut or brokenaway.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of this invention to provide asmoking pipe having a removable inner corn cob member for the smokingbowl which includes aheatresistance lining element for the bottom of thecorn cob bowl which prevents the same from burning out.

Another important advantage of this invention is the provision of arelieved chamber between the sides of the corn cob inner bowl and theadjacent sides of the outer bowl portion of the pipe, whereby the corncob bowl will always remain readily removable from the outer bowl, eventhough the same corn cob be used many times and undergo a great deal ofexpansion.

These and other additional objects and advantages will becomeincreasingly apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration ofthe following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a central sectional view of the completely assembled smokingpipe of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded fragmentary view of the pipe stern, showing themethod of sealing the same; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective central section. of the corn cob inner bowl,showing in detail the heat-resistant lining element incorporatedtherein.

In brief, this invention concerns smoking pipes of the kind havingmore-or-less permanent outer bowl portions and removable orinterchangeable corn cob inner bowl members for inside the permanentbowls. A heat-resistant lining element is provided for the bottom of thecorn cob inner bowl, so that the same will not be burned through.Further, the invention includes forming a relieved chamber between thesides of the corn cob inner bowl and adjacent sides of the outer bowl sothat the inherent swelling of the corn cob cannot cause the seizure ofthe inner and outer bowls. .This relieved chamber is preferably wider atthe bottom of the bowl than at the top, since the greatest swellingtakes place at this point. In addition, the smoking pipe of thisinvention includes sealing means which are insertable between the outerbowl portion and the stem of the pipe, so that the alternate heating andcooling of the pipe .as it is used over a period of time will not causeloosening of the stem.

Referring now in more detail to the drawings, in FIG. 1 my smoking pipe10 is seen to comprise an outer bowl portion 12, a stem portion 14, anda removable inner bowl member 16. The inner bowl 16 is freely removablefrom the outer bowl portion 12, and in order to insure that it remainso, a relieved chamber 18 is formed between the sides of the two bowls12 and 16. The chamber 18 may be formed in a variety of specific shapes,but it should preferably extend the entire vertical length of the innerbowl and completely about the circumference of the same. Also, I preferto enlarge the chamber 18 near the bottom of the bowl, since tars andmoisture may collect here and since this area is usually the hottest ofany on the pipe. Hence'the cob will exhibit its greatest swelling inthis area.

The interior of the outer bowl portion 12 is preferably formed so as tohave a circumferential shoulder 20 a short distance above its bottomextremity. A matching shoulder 22 (see FIG. 3) is formed on the bottomof the inner bowl 16, so that when the latter is inserted into the outerbowl 12 in the manner shown in FIG. 1, the shoulders 20 and 22 will comeinto engagement, thereby positiom'ng and supporting the inner bowlwithin the outer one. In order for the pipe to draw properly, the innerbowl must at all times be firmly seated against the outer bowl sinceotherwise air will flow between the two bowls rather than through theinterior of the inner bowl and out the smoke passage 28. In order toassure the firm seating of the shoulders 20 and 22 of the two bowlsagainst each other, a collar 24 is provided for the outer bowl 12, whichby a suitable engagement therewith (such as by threading the twomembers) contacts the top of inner bowl 16 and retains it in its properposition within the outer bowl. I

It should be noted that in the preferred embodiment illustrated herein,the shoulders 20 and 22 of the inner and outer bowls are positioned atan angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the bowls. This uniquefeature not only provides for the correct positioning and seating of theinner bowl within the outer bowl when the former is newly inserted intothe latter, but also insures that this position and seating aremaintained during long usage of the pipe. It accomplishes this becausethe shoulder of the outer bowl provides a surface along which the innerbowl may expand during the swelling noted previously. Because of theangular position of the shoulder, any swelling undergone by the innerbowl will actually cause it to become increasingly more firmly retainedbetween the shoulder 20 at its bottom and the threaded remains betweenthe bottom of the two bowls.

28 formed therein. The trap 26 communicates with the stem 14 by means ofa smoke passage 30. The trap serves to collect the various tars andmoistures generated by smoking the pipe, and thereby prevents thesesubstances from entering the stem 14 and possibly coming into contactwith the tongue and mouth of the smoker.

As may be seen in FIGS. land 3, the bottom extremities of the generallycylindrical inner bowl 16 form inwardly-directed flange portions whichdecrease in thickness toward the inside of the inner bowl. 'Theinwardlydirected surfaces of these flange portions define a cavity 32formed in the bottom of the removable corn cob inner bowl 16. Aheat-resistant lining means or element 34, which is preferably made of asuitable ceramic material, is provided in the cavity 32. Although withinthe broader aspects of the invention the shape of the lining means. 34may possibly take many different forms, this element preferably has ashallow concave, or dished, :upper surface which is well adapted tosupport a bed of hotcoal-s, and a somewhat narrower lower portion orneck which adjoins the surface of the cavity 32.

This lining is preferably formed by placing the unhardened ceramicmaterial in the cavity 32 of the bowl 16, seen in FIG. 3, and hardeningit in place within the cavity, although within the broadest aspects ofthis invention it is conceivable that it might also be practiced byforming the lining 34 and cavity 32 separately and subsequentlyinserting the former into the latter.

Additionally, I wish to make it clear that the cavity 32 may, ifdesired, extend completely through the bottom of the removable innerbowl 16, thereby actually becoming an aperture. Whatever configurationbe given the cavity 32, the bottom of the lining 34 should, of course,be formed so as to closely coincide therewith. Finally, the smokepassage 28 noted previously extends through the lining 34 and theremovable bowl 16, in which the latter is positioned.

As seen inFIGS. 1 and 2, the outer bowl portion 12 is joined with astern portion 14, preferably by shaping the latter so as to be slidablyinsertable within the former. Because diflerent materials for formingthe bowl 12 and ,stem 14 are very often chosen, these parts will havedissimilar rates of contraction and expansion when exposed to the heatgenerated by smoking the pipe. Consequently, sealing means 36 areprovided by which these differences in expansion .and contraction may becompensated for,

thereby retaining a snug fit between the outer bowl 12 i and the stem 14at all times. The sealing means 36 is preferably an O-ring, which isseated within an annular groove 38 formed on the stem :14.

As may be readily perceived by the foregoing descrip tion of my improvedsmoking pipe, I have provided a pipe which for the first time presentsan attractive and durable exterior, and yet which has all of the desiredsmok g qualities of the simple corn cob pipe. Moreover, the corn cobinner bowls of my pipe are not easily burned out at their bottom. Theytherefore may be used as long as they are fresh or properly seasoned,and'dis- I carded only. when the smoker ihimself chooses, as when theybecome so saturated with undesirable tars, etc., that they no longerproperly flavor and filter the smoke. The pipe thereby provides greatersmoking pleasure at a lower cost. Finally, the relieved chamberpositioned between the sides of the corn cob inner bowl and the sides ofthe outer bowl portion accommodate the characteristic swelling of thecorn cob as it absorbs nicotinous tars and the like, and this chamberthereby insures that the inner bowl will always be readily removablefrom the outer bowl portion, whenever a new corn cob'is desired to beinserted therein.

While I have set forth the embodiment of this invention most preferredby me, other embodiments involving variations in form and structure butincorporating my inventive concept may occur to others after studyingthis description. Accordingly, the inventive concept involved hereinshould be limited only as is expressly set forth in the below-appendedclaim.

I claim:

A smoking pipe, comprising: an outer bowl having a concavity therein; agenerally cylindrical inner bowl of corncob insertable within saidconcavity such that the lower extremity of said inner bowl is supportedby interior portions of said outer bowl; said inner bow] havinginwardly-directed flange portions near the end thereof closest the:bottom of said concavity; said flange portions decreasing in thicknesstoward their innermost extremities to define generally conicalfiangesurfaces located at grooves formed thereupon; a circular hardenedceramic liner having a central aperture therethrough and sup-,

ported upon said flange surfaces; said liner having a series ofalternating grooves and ridges formed on its lower surfaces to bereceived by said flange surface ridges and grooves in matingrelationship; said liner further having a smooth concalve dish-likeupper surface adapted to. support a charge of tobacco thereupon; saidinner and outer bowls defining a space located between the bottom ofsaid outer bowl concavity and the bottom of said inner bowl and incommunication with said liner aperture, such that smoke may pass throughthe said aperture and into the said space; and stem means in communica-.tion with said space, for drawing smoke therefrom.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 451,313 4/1891Weinrnann 131-205 1,170,465 2/1916 Strong 131-205 X 1,480,268 1/ 1924Kidwell 13 l205 1,978,393 10/ 1934 Dickinson 131-220 3,106,922 10/1963Hefti 131--225 X 3,170,468 2/1965 Smith 131-225 X FOREIGN PATENTS 11,6635/ 1911 Great Britain.

- SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH S, REICH, Examiner, p

